


Mankind Needs More Empathy

by BrightestStarInTheSky



Series: Some Kind Of Bromance [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 11:19:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15314373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightestStarInTheSky/pseuds/BrightestStarInTheSky
Summary: Realising how wrong he'd been about androids, Gavin decides to apologise to the one prototype.





	Mankind Needs More Empathy

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Людям нужно больше сострадания](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16191875) by [kcmski](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcmski/pseuds/kcmski)



The precinct was mostly empty. Despite his shift only starting in 30 minutes, Gavin liked to arrive early to get a better feel of what the day had been like so far. He’d talk to his fellow detectives, see if any of the new cases were related to his and then get to work after fixing himself a cup of coffee. This was his usual routine for Sunday night shifts. Despite their usual dullness, Gavin really enjoyed working the graveyard shift on Sundays, anything hardly happened on those nights and it allowed him to finish off his late paperwork. He relished in the little peace and quiet he so seldom found in his work, even if it now involved working mostly with androids during these hours.

To anyone looking, not that the androids working with him cared what he did, it would have seemed that everything was normal. Gavin sat at his desk, his terminal opened on the homicide file he’d solved this week but he wasn’t looking at it. His gaze was fixated on the desks behind it.  
The one that used to be vacant before the whole deviant case now read on its plate “Detective C. Anderson”. Right next to it, on the normally bare surface was a brown envelope. Nothing was written on it but it was clearly addressed to Connor. 

For what felt like the thousandth time that evening, Gavin looked at the clock. Connor would be arriving in less than five minutes now. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and his breath quicken. This was a horrible idea. Why did it seem brilliant at the time? He should just take the offensive object back, shove it deep into one of his drawers and never look at it again. He started rising from his chair before seating back down. If he didn’t do it today he never would, and he knew the longer he waited the more he’d be nervous. His leg started fidgeting on its own accord. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. It didn’t really do anything but it was still better than staring, waiting for time to pass. As his breathing started to calm down, he heard someone walk through the door. His eyes snapped open.

Connor arrived at the precinct five minutes early as he always did when he wasn’t sharing a shift with Hank. As he walked into the bullpen, Connor made sure to keep a safe distance from a certain Detective. Since the revolution, he’d started much fewer fights but he was clearly tensed and Connor didn’t feel like taking that chance. 

As he arrived at his desk, he noticed the package waiting for him. It was completely blank but the way it’d been placed clearly indicated that it was meant for him. Carefully, Connor picked it up and scanned it, Detective Reed’s fingerprints covering the entire thing. The android’s LED circled yellow once before going back to blue. Frowning slightly, he cleanly cut it open and took out what was inside. 

It was a book, a physical paper one which was uncommon in itself but what was even more unsettling was the cover. It was a picture of the bare white face of an android. The book, however, Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheeps by Philip K. Dick, had been written far before Kamski’s breakthrough and this particular edition was more than forty years old. Despite how old it was, the book was still in pristine condition leading Connor to wonder if it’d been in the Detective’s possession for a long time or if he’d recently acquired it which couldn’t have been cheap. 

Softly caressing the cover of his new possession with his thumb, Connor opened it. On the first page, underneath the title was a note, reading in a neat handwriting “Mankind needs more empathy” followed by an “I’m sorry”. Connor cocked his head to the side and blinked before reading it again. Deciding he’d rather have context rather than just rely on the quote he downloaded the story to his database, LED flickering yellow while doing so. Once done, Connor was still perplexed, his LED remaining yellow. The story wasn’t happy by any means. Many androids died in it. Many were enslaved. Yet some considered them as people, capable of feelings. Still confused by the meaning of the seeming gift, Connor decided to confront Reed.

Turning towards his desk, Connor realised it was empty. Noticing the lack of coffee on the table, he headed to the break room. As he entered, Connor saw the Detective sprawled onto one of the tables, his head into his arms, muttering to himself. Even with his superior hearing, he could not make out what was being said. Approaching slowing and ever so quietly, Connor called his name. 

Snapping upright Gavin half-shouted “Fuck Connor you’ve got to stop approaching people like a god damn cat! You almost—“ Gavin’s eyes fell on the white book held in the android’s hands, suddenly finding himself unable to finish his sentence. His throat felt abnormally dry and he’d apparently forgotten how to breathe.  
He’d escaped to the break room, far too nervous to actually watch Connor discover the small peace offering and now the android was standing right in front of him, holding the offending object in his hand.  
Connor took a step forward and stopped when saw how nervous Reed became and the effect it had on his levels of stress. 

“You were the one who got me this book, is that correct?” Connor squinted slightly, ready to analyse whatever the other one would say or do next.  
Gavin brought his hand to his neck in a nervous gesture and nodded, “Yeah, it was me. I figured it’d be best to just leave it on your desk,” his eyes fell to the floor as he continued “I wasn’t sure how you’d react, especially after happened when we last, er, talked in the archive room.”  
Connor’s LED blinked yellow once before settling back to its default blue. At least now he understood the other’s absence over the last couple of weeks. 

“I appreciate the topics explored by this book. Thank you for giving it to me.”  
“Wait, have you read it?” Gavin’s shoulders sunk a little at that thought. He’d put a lot of efforts in choosing the right book and then finding it.  
Connor saw the disappointment written all over Gavin’s face. “No, I haven’t, I just downloaded it to my software to know what it was about” Connor tried to reassure him.  
Evidently, it didn’t work because Gavin started cursing under his breath.  
“Fucking idiot, should have known a book was a shitty gift for an android what was I thinking...” 

As he mumbled, he tried to grab the book from Connor’s hand. Connor stepped back and clutched the old copy of the book to his chest, very gently, afraid of damaging it.  
“If it’s alright with you I’d like to keep it. I have yet to read it, or read any book for that matter,” in a softer voice Connor added “It’s the first gift I’ve received from someone else than Hank. Plus, I really like your note.”

Gavin was stunned silent as he properly looked at Connor. He noticed his face gained a faint blue hue and realised that that was how android looked like when they blushed. He didn’t think it possible. He’d clearly been wrong about many things.  
With a smirk laking his usual spite Gavin replied: “Let me know how you liked it once you’re done then.”

The sight of Connor holding the book and blushing made him feel equal parts content and uneasy. Connor liked the gift but he wasn’t sure his intention had been clear enough. He needed to stop being fucking a coward. Writing it on a note was not good enough and after the shit he’d pulled, Connor deserved better than two lines scribbled down on a book, as meaningful as the story might be. Swallowing, Gavin looked up into those warm brown eyes.  
“Listen, Connor, about that note, I really mean it, okay? I’ve been a complete asshole to you and I’m – I didn’t –“ Gavin stammered. His jaw clenched and he lowered his head in a mixture of shame and anger. He wasn’t even able to apologise to his goddamn face. 

As the blunt edge of his nails threatened to break the skin of his palms, Gavin felt Connor put a hand on his shoulder. He reluctantly looked up. There was no malice in the android’s eyes.  
“It’s okay Gavin, I accept your apology.”  
Gavin was still unable to form a sentence, nodding in answer, his lips shut tight. 

For the first time, Connor smiled at him. A real, sincere smile that was soft and yet made his eyes light up. For a second time that night, Gavin felt incapable of breathing but this time for an entirely different reason. Connor let his hand slide down his arm before bringing it back to his side. With that, Connor nodded back before heading back to his desk, leaving Gavin alone in the break room, confused and yet happy with how the encounter went. 

A week later, when he arrived for his night shift, Gavin found a steaming cup of coffee on his desk. It wasn’t in his usual mug. This one had a toad on it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this, I hope you enjoyed it. This is definitely going to be turned into a series, the next parts are already mapped out.  
> For those who haven't read the book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheeps ends with the android hunter finding a toad. At first, he thinks it's a live one and then realises it's a machine but still cares about it.


End file.
